ARC 200
3D Printing with a Focus on the Foundations of Architecture”
3 credits

You can read more about the 3D printing phenomenon here and how entire buildings may be printed.

Course Description: Rapid technological advancements in today’s society can aid our abilities within the architectural spectrum.  This class is designed to combine exterior architectural learning with 3D printing, in order to construct 3D models that can help build a better understanding of exterior architectural designs in real life situations.

Learning Objectives: This course will prepare students to…
1. Gain an understanding of 3D printing software.
2. Learn to operate 3D printers.
3. Convert two-dimensional architectural designs to three-dimensional structures through the process of 3D printing.
4. Gain a better understanding of the models they create because of the 3D printing technology.
5. Learn how to potentially turn 3D models into actual structures.

Projects:
1. Introductory Project – 10%
The purpose of this project is to become familiar with the 3D printers and the 3D printing software.  A designed model will be given to print and a safety check will be required to complete the project.

2. Exterior Home Model – 20%
Students will learn about architectural aspects of houses and how to design to scale.  They will then design and print a small home to scale incorporating aspects of what they have learned about home plans.

3. Exterior Building Model – 20%
Students will learn about architectural features of buildings and building design.  They will understand design not only on a two-dimensional level, but will also be able to see and feel their own three-dimensional structures that they have created.   This project will be based upon what the students have learned about designing buildings in class.

 4. Exterior Bridge Model—20%
For this project students will generate a model of a bridge based on what they have previously learned during class.  They will use architectural aspects of bridges to create a design of a functional model. Students will 3D print their models where they can test their bridges to measure how much weight they can hold.

5. Final project – 30%
The student will be required to mimic some type of “famous” architectural structure in the world with the knowledge that they have gained throughout the course.  Some examples include: government buildings, stadiums, monuments, ancient architecture, museums, bridges, etc.  Their 3D printing model must be to scale and incorporate aspects of the structure that they have chosen to recreate on a smaller scale.

In this article, you can understand how far 3D printing technology can be pushed in this intricate 3D printed room.

3D printing is a revolutionizing technology that will allow students to have a hands on experience in an architectural class.  Instead of only designing two-dimensional designs on paper or three-dimensional designs on the computer, this class goes a step further in experimenting with architectural models.  A model may look good or seem practical on paper or on a computer program, but once it is held and viewed three-dimensionally their learning experience is taken to a much higher level.

3D printing is revolutionizing and this article explains how 3D printing buildings will become a reality in the “not-too-distant future”